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‘Coercive’ sex acts cost doctor his licence

Bruce Minnes, formerly a pediatrician at Sick Kids, has lost his licence over 'coercive' sex acts with a 17-year-old who was not his patient, in a ruling by a committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

A former emergency room pediatrician at the Hospital for Sick Children lost his licence last week after he was found to have engaged in “very intrusive and coercive sexual activities” with a 17-year-old girl who was not his patient.

The decision comes as a provincial task force is reviewing laws that deal with sexual abuse of patients by health professionals, following a Star investigation into doctors who continue to practise despite being found guilty of such misconduct.

In this case, the complainant was a 17-year-old camp counsellor. The alleged incident took place in summer 2007, when Minnes, then 47, was camp physician.

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“The Committee has found that Dr. Minnes was in a clear position of authority with respect to the complainant, despite the absence of a doctor/patient relationship,” reads the ruling.

“Although there was not a pre-existing relationship between the complainant and Dr. Minnes on which feelings of personal trust could be based, Dr. Minnes’ position as camp physician conveyed an expectation that he could be trusted . . . The Committee found that Dr. Minnes had abused his position of authority and trust vis à vis the complainant, in order to take advantage of her for his sexual gratification.”

According to the decision, Minnes denied the allegation of misconduct, “and attempted to portray himself as the victim of a sexually aggressive adolescent.” He was never criminally charged or convicted in relation to the alleged incident.

Sick Kids spokeswoman Matet Nebres said Minnes was suspended in 2012 when the College notified the hospital about its disciplinary hearing. She said Minnes voluntarily resigned from the medical staff in June 2014. He had been employed at Sick Kids since 2000.

The discipline committee had previously found Minnes guilty last September of professional misconduct for what it referred to as the “camp incident,” as well as for the “hospital incidents,” in which Minnes was found to have demonstrated, between 2003 and 2009, “a pattern of intrusive and unwanted touching of female staff.”

The hospital is not identified in the decision, but Nebres confirmed it is Sick Kids. She said the 17-year-old camp counsellor was not a Sick Kids patient, and the camp had no ties to the hospital.

Minnes admitted at his discipline hearing “that he had behaved as alleged” with regards to the incidents at the hospital, says the decision. The panel wrote that he was “oblivious” to the impact of his actions until he started therapy in 2009 at the direction of the hospital.

Counsel for the College asked the discipline committee to revoke Minnes’ licence, issue a public reprimand and award costs in the amount of just over $35,000. Matheson suggested as an alternate penalty that Minnes face a six- to eight-month suspension, a public reprimand, the requirement that he complete a boundaries course and that he see a therapist who was identified as “having a special interest in the treatment of high risk behaviours.”

The committee ultimately revoked his licence “in light of the serious and appalling nature of the offending behaviour in the camp incident, the need to protect the public, and the need to maintain public confidence in the integrity of the medical profession and its ability to govern itself effectively.”

It found that because Minnes may see adolescent patients, “he cannot be permitted to continue to practise medicine until such time as it can clearly be concluded that the risk of a repetition of such behaviour is negligible.”

The panel concluded that while the camp incident alone called for revocation, it determined that “there is an even stronger case for revocation” based on the combined findings in the hospital and camp incidents.

The College is not currently required to report potential criminal acts of sexual abuse to the police. College spokeswoman Kathryn Clarke said she could not comment as to whether or not police were notified in this case.

“In situations where we are investigating a complaint of professional misconduct that would also amount to criminal conduct, if proven, we routinely advise complainants of the option of pursuing a complaint with police, if they have not already done so,” she said.

A Peel police spokesman said he could not comment on whether police were notified about Minnes, as he has not been charged.

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